Where is ISKCON in Chennai?

ISKCON Chennai (Hare Krishna Movement Chennai) operates its main temple Dakshina Dwaraka in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Additional centers are located in Mogappair. Visit hkmchennai.org for details.

What programs does ISKCON Chennai offer?

HKM Chennai offers free Bhagavad Gita classes (Gita Life), youth programs (FOLK), children's cultural education (ICVK for ages 3-15), Sunday retreats, spiritual discourses, Soulful Sangam kirtans, Tirtha Yatra pilgrimages, and major festival celebrations like Ratha Yatra and Janmashtami.

Are the Bhagavad Gita classes at ISKCON Chennai free?

Yes, the Gita Life classes at HKM Chennai are completely free and open to everyone regardless of background or prior knowledge of the scriptures.

What is ISKCON Thiruvanmiyur?

ISKCON Thiruvanmiyur refers to the Hare Krishna Movement Chennai temple and cultural center located in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai. It is the main hub for spiritual programs, deity worship, festivals, and community activities of HKM Chennai.

How can I donate to ISKCON Chennai?

You can donate online at hkmchennai.org/donate. Various seva options include Deity Seva, Gopala Seva, Pandava Seva, Sudama Seva, Annadanam sponsorship, and festival sponsorships for Ratha Yatra, Ram Navami, and Gaura Purnima.

Vaishnava Calendar 2026–27 | Festival Dates & Ekadashi | Hare Krishna Movement Chennai

March 2026

7 observances

4Wed

Festival of Jagannātha Miśra

Festival

11Wed

Śrī Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita — Appearance

Appearance

15Sun

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

16Mon

Śrī Govinda Ghoṣa — Disappearance

Disappearance

23Mon

Śrī Rāmānujācārya — Appearance

Appearance

27Fri

Śrī Rāma Navamī — Śrī Rāma Aiśvaryam

Fasting till sunset

Major

29Sun

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

April 2026

11 observances

2Thu

Śrī Vaṁśīvadana Ṭhākura Appearance

Śrī Śyāmānanda Prabhu — Appearance

Appearance

9Thu

Śrī Abhirāma Ṭhākura — Disappearance

Disappearance

12Sun

Śrī Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura — Disappearance

Disappearance

13Mon

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

17Fri

Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita — Appearance

Appearance

20Mon

Akṣaya Tṛtīyā — Chandana Yātrā begins 🪷

Major

25Sat

Srimati Sītā Devī Appearance

Śrī Madhu Paṇḍita Gosvāmī Disappearance

Srimati Jāhnavā Devī — Appearance

Appearance

27Mon

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

28Tue

Rukmiṇī Dvādaśī — Evening abhiṣekam for KRS

Festival

29Wed

Śrī Jayānanda Prabhu — Disappearance

Disappearance

30Thu

Narasiṁha Caturdaśī 🦁 — Appearance of Lord Narasiṁhadeva

Fasting till dusk

Major

May 2026

6 observances

1Fri

Śrī Mādhavendra Purī Appearance

Śrī Śrīnivāsa Ācārya — Appearance

Appearance

7Thu

Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya — Disappearance

Disappearance

13Wed

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

14Thu

Śrī Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura — Appearance

Appearance

27Wed

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata (Mahā-Dvādaśī)

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

31Sun

Kalyāṇotsavam 🌸

Festival

June 2026

5 observances

11Thu

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

24Wed

Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa — Disappearance

Disappearance

25Thu

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

27Sat

Panihāṭī Chidā-Dadhī Utsava 🍚

Major

29–30Mon–Tue

Śrī Mukunda Datta Disappearance (29)

Śrī Śyāmānanda Prabhu Disappearance (30)

Disappearance

July 2026

10 observances

5Sun

Śrī Vakreśvara Paṇḍita — Appearance

Appearance

10Fri

Śrī Śrīnivāsa Paṇḍita — Disappearance

Disappearance

11Sat

Dvādaśī — Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

14Tue

Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita Disappearance

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura — Disappearance

Fasting till noon

Major

16Thu

Jagannātha Purī Ratha Yātrā 🎡

Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī Disappearance

Śrī Śivānanda Senā Disappearance

Major

19Sun

Vakreśvara Paṇḍita — Disappearance

Disappearance

24Fri

Bāhudā Ratha Yātrā at Jagannātha Purī

Major

25Sat

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

29Wed

Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī — Disappearance

Disappearance

30Thu

First Month of Cāturmāsya begins 🍃

Fasting from śāk (green leafy vegetables) for one month

Chaturmasya

August 2026

9 observances

3Mon

Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī — Disappearance

Disappearance

6Thu

Śrī Lokanātha Gosvāmī — Disappearance

Disappearance

7Fri

ISKCON Founding Day 🏛️

Festival

9Sun

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

16Sun

Śrī Raghunandana Ṭhākura Disappearance

Śrī Vaṁśīdāsa Bābājī — Disappearance

Disappearance

23Sun

Jhūlan Yātrā begins 🌙

Festival

24Mon

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata (Mahā-Dvādaśī)

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Disappearance

Śrī Gauridāsa Paṇḍita — Disappearance

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

28Fri

Balarāma Jayantī 🌾 — Appearance of Lord Balarāma

Jhūlan Yātrā ends

Abhiṣekam for Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma

Fasting till noon

Major

29Sat

Second Month of Cāturmāsya begins

Jaladuta's Voyage of Compassion begins ⛵

Fasting from yogurt for one month

Chaturmasya

September 2026

12 observances

4Fri

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī 🦚 — Appearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Fasting till midnight

Major

5Sat

Nandotsava

Śrī Vyāsa Pūjā — Appearance of Śrīla Prabhupāda

Fasting till noon

Major

7Mon

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

13Sun

Śrīla Prabhupāda Vyāsa Pūjā Smaraṇam

Festival

16Wed

Srimati Sītā Ṭhākurāṇī (Śrī Advaita Ācārya's consort) — Appearance

Appearance

19Sat

Rādhāṣṭamī 🌹 — Appearance of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī

Fasting till noon

Major

22Tue

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata (+ Fasting till noon for Vāmana Dvādaśī next day)

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

23Wed

Vāmana Jayantī — Appearance of Lord Vāmanadeva

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī — Appearance

Major

24Thu

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura — Appearance

Fasting till noon

Appearance

25Fri

Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura Disappearance

Ananta Caturdaśī

Disappearance

26Sat

Acceptance of Sannyāsa by Śrīla Prabhupāda — Sannyāsa Smṛti

Festival

27Sun

Āśraya Ceremony

Third Month of Cāturmāsya begins

Fasting from milk for one month

Chaturmasya

October 2026

8 observances

3Sat

Jaladuta's Voyage of Compassion ends ⛵

Festival

6Tue

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

21Wed

Vijaya Daśamī

Śrīla Madhvācārya — Appearance

Festival

22Thu

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

23Fri

Śrīla Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī

Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī

Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī — Disappearance

Disappearance

26Mon

Śrī Murāri Gupta — Disappearance

Disappearance

27Tue

Fourth Month of Cāturmāsya begins

🪔 Kārtika Dīpotsava begins

Fasting from urad dal for one month

Chaturmasya

30Fri

Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura — Disappearance

Disappearance

November 2026

12 observances

1Sun

Śrīla Prabhupāda Āśraya Ceremony — 6 PM

Festival

2Mon

Bahulāṣṭamī — Appearance of Rādhā Kuṇḍa

Festival

3Tue

Śrī Virābhadra — Appearance

Appearance

5Thu

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

10Tue

Govardhana Pūjā 🏔️

Go Pūjā

Govardhana Śaraṇotsavam

Śrī Rasikānanda Prabhu — Appearance

Major

11Wed

Śrī Vāsudeva Ghoṣa — Disappearance

Disappearance

13Fri

Śrīla Prabhupāda — Disappearance 🙏

Fasting till noon

Major

17Tue

Gopāṣṭamī 🐄

Śrīla Gadādhara Dāsa Gosvāmī Disappearance

Śrī Dhanañjaya Paṇḍita Disappearance

Śrī Śrīnivāsa Ācārya — Disappearance

Festival

21Sat

Śrīla Gaura Kiśora Dāsa Bābājī Disappearance

Ekādaśī (Tṛspṛśā Mahādvādaśī)

Fasting till noon + regular Ekādaśī fasting · Next day feast after sunrise

Major

23Mon

Śrīla Bhūgarbha Gosvāmī Disappearance

Śrīla Kāśīśvara Paṇḍita — Disappearance

Disappearance

24Tue

🪔 Last Day of Dīpotsava

Cāturmāsya ends

Chaturmasya

29Sun

Śrīla Prabhupāda Book Distribution Festival Inauguration 📚

Kīrtana Melā

Major

December 2026

5 observances

—Dec

Śrīla Prabhupāda Dīkṣā Diwāsa

Festival

5Sat

Ekādaśī Vrata — Mahā-Dvādaśī

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

6Sun

Śrī Sāraṅga Ṭhākura — Disappearance

Disappearance

20Sun

Gītā Jayantī 📖

*Vaikuṇṭha Ekādaśī*

Fasting from grains and beans

Major

27Sun

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura — Disappearance

Fasting till noon

Major

January 2027

8 observances

3Sun

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata

Śrīla Devānanda Paṇḍita — Disappearance

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

5Tue

Śrī Maheśa Paṇḍita Disappearance

Śrī Uddhāraṇa Datta Ṭhākura — Disappearance

Disappearance

8Fri

Śrīla Locanā Dāsa Ṭhākura — Appearance

Appearance

11Mon

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī Disappearance

Śrī Jagadiśa Paṇḍita — Disappearance

Disappearance

13–14Wed–Thu

Morning KB Pallaki in Mogappair (13)

Bhogi Pongal — Evening (13)

Thai Pongal 🌾 (14)

Festival

19Tue

Ekādaśī Vrata (Mahā-Dvādaśī)

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

20Wed

Śrīla Jagadiśa Paṇḍita — Appearance

Appearance

26–28Tue–Thu

Śrī Rāmacandra Kavirāja Gosvāmī Disappearance (26)

Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī Appearance (26)

Śrīla Jayadeva Gosvāmī Disappearance (27)

Śrīla Locanā Dāsa Ṭhākura Disappearance (28)

Disappearance

February 2027

11 observances

2Tue

Fasting for Ekādaśī Vrata

Break fast at next sunrise

Ekadashi

7Sun

Last Day of Book Distribution Marathon 📚

Festival

11Thu

Vasanta Pañcamī 🌸

Dakshina Dwaraka Dham Varṣikotsava

Major

13Sat

Śrīla Advaita Ācārya — Appearance

Fasting till noon

Appearance

15–16Mon–Tue

Śrīla Madhavācārya Disappearance (15)

Śrīla Rāmānujācārya — Disappearance (16)

Disappearance

17Wed

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting till noon + regular Ekādaśī fasting · Next day feast after sunrise

Ekadashi

18Thu

Varāha Dvādaśī 🐗

Festival

19Fri

Nityananda Trayodaśī 🌟 — Appearance of Śrī Nityananda Prabhu

Navaratna Sevā

Distribution of Prizes for Book Distribution Marathon

Fasting till noon

Major

21Sun

Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura — Appearance

Appearance

25Thu

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura — Appearance

Śrīla Puruṣottama Dāsa Ṭhākura — Disappearance

Fasting till noon

Major

27Sat

Rukmiṇī Dwarakādhīśa Ratha Yātrā, Chennai 🎡

Major

March 2027

9 observances

4Thu

Ekādaśī Vrata — Mahā-Dvādaśī

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

5Fri

Śrīla Īśvara Purī — Disappearance

Disappearance

9Tue

Śrīla Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī Disappearance

Śrīla Rasikānanda — Disappearance

Disappearance

12Fri

Śrīla Puruṣottama Dāsa Ṭhākura — Appearance

Appearance

18Thu

Ekādaśī Vrata

Fasting from grains and beans

Ekadashi

19Fri

Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī — Disappearance

Disappearance

21Sun

Śrī Caitanya Rasotsava — Celebration of Śrī Gaura Pūrṇimā

Festival

22Mon

Śrī Gaura Pūrṇimā 🌕 — Appearance of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Fasting till moonrise

Major

23Tue

Jagannātha Miśra Feast 🍛

Festival